From September 1, schools will close: which educational institutions will lose funding.

New rules for school funding in Ukraine

According to inkorr.com: Starting September 1, the government introduces a new rule: schools with fewer than 45 students will not receive state funding, with the exception of primary classes. This change is part of a new strategy for funding education in Ukraine.

As reported by the Ministry of Education and Science in response to a request from hromadske.

From September 2025, schools with a student count of fewer than 45 will lose the right to receive funds from the state educational subvention, and by 2026, this threshold will be raised to 60 students. This decision was made due to the economic inefficiency of maintaining small schools.

Moreover, local authorities must determine the future of small schools: close them and organize transportation for students to other educational institutions or ensure funding from the local budget. The number of schools that will fall under this rule will be known after the statistical data is received at the beginning of the school year.

Improving school transport

The government also plans to increase spending on school transport. Over the past two years, more than a thousand buses have been purchased, and the investment program in this area continues. However, the quality of education leaves much to be desired: rural students lag behind their urban peers in terms of knowledge according to testing results.

Thus, the new rules for school funding may significantly impact their future. At the same time, state efforts to improve school transport do not yet resolve the main issue of education quality. It is important that alongside these changes, solutions for improving the level of education are implemented, especially in rural areas where students face the greatest challenges.